At an Ankara panel Oct. 27, Burhanettin Duran, head of Türkiye’s Presidential Directorate of Communications, said COP31 should rebuild confidence among governments and make climate promises measurable.
Duran said climate challenges cross borders and cannot be met by one country using only its own resources. He pointed to dialogue as a means of restoring trust between governments before the summit. The Directorate’s account described Türkiye’s approach as using COP31 to move climate pledges toward outcomes that can be assessed and sustained. That focus puts follow-through alongside diplomacy in the summit’s stated purpose.
Duran said the goal was “measurable and lasting action,” according to the Directorate’s account. He made the remarks at “From Zero Waste to COP31: Türkiye’s Climate Diplomacy,” a panel held in Ankara. The event notice said Duran and Environment, Urbanisation and Climate Change Minister Murat Kurum were scheduled to make opening remarks. It also said the gathering would launch a climate diplomacy book prepared in Turkish and English. The Directorate said Duran presented COP31 as a chance for Türkiye to advance its climate diplomacy.
The UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) describes its annual COP meetings as a multilateral forum for decisions on climate change. COP31 is the 31st session of the Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC. The conference will be held at Antalya EXPO Center.
The UNFCCC lists Türkiye as host and names Kurum as the nominated COP31 president. It lists Australia’s Chris Bowen as president of negotiations, a separate role in the conference leadership. The Directorate also cited Türkiye’s 2053 net-zero emissions target as part of the country’s climate policy context. The UNFCCC calendar sets the meeting to begin Nov. 9, 2026, and run through Nov. 20.
